United Airlines said it plans to resume nonstop service between Newark Liberty International Airport and Ben Gurion Airport on September 8, operating two daily flights on a route that was suspended along with most international air traffic to Israel following the closure of Israeli airspace in late February during the conflict with Iran.
"United still plans to resume service between Newark and Tel Aviv on Sept. 8 with two daily flights," the airline said in a statement. The flights will operate using Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft on the 11-hour eastbound and 12-hour westbound journey across the Atlantic.
The resumption marks a significant step in the recovery of U.S.-Israel air travel, which ground to a halt on February 28 when Israel closed its airspace to most commercial traffic. Ben Gurion Airport has since reopened fully, and international airlines have begun gradually restoring service to Israel.
United's return comes as a major competitor, American Airlines, has announced it will not resume flights to and from Israel before March 27, 2027. Delta Air Lines, however, is expected to resume its New York and Atlanta routes to Tel Aviv on September 5, just three days before United's planned restart.
The timing places United's return just days before Rosh Hashana begins on the evening of September 11, marking the start of the Jewish High Holiday season. The period historically sees a substantial increase in travel from the United States to Israel, with travelers observing the holidays, visiting family, and observing religious traditions. The season extends through Sukkot in late September.
Before the Iranian conflict forced the suspension, United operated 14 weekly flights from the New York/New Jersey area to Israel, making it the dominant U.S. carrier on the route. The metropolitan area, home to one of the nation's largest Jewish communities, had long served as a major departure hub for travel to Israel.
During the months when United and other U.S. carriers suspended operations, Israeli airlines El Al and Arkia were the only carriers offering nonstop service between Tel Aviv and U.S. destinations, effectively giving them monopoly status on the critical route.
The restoration of United service is expected to increase competition on the Newark-Tel Aviv route and provide travelers in the New York/New Jersey region with additional scheduling flexibility and capacity ahead of the busy holiday season.
United's Newark hub is the carrier's largest transatlantic gateway, with direct rail access to Manhattan via AirTrain in under 30 minutes. The resumption reflects growing confidence among U.S. carriers that conditions in Israel have stabilized sufficiently to warrant restored service.
Airlines remain cautious about the region. The gradual pace of resumptions—with American holding off until March 2027 and Delta resuming just days before United—suggests carriers continue to monitor regional security carefully before committing to full pre-war service levels.
United has not yet announced timelines for resuming flights from Chicago O'Hare and Washington Dulles, which also served Tel Aviv before the February closure. The carrier had previously indicated it would evaluate resuming those routes beginning in fall 2025, though no formal announcements have been made for 2026 service.
